hotchkiss



(No Model.)

aA. HOTCHKKISS. TOY QANNoN.

No'. 556,057. Patented Ma1-.- 1o, 1896".

@noem/coz M www i W mmxwm/K-*i a n NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HOTCIIKISS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 'IO TIIEIVES dt XVILLIAMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

T OY CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,057, dated March10, 1896. Application filed December 24, 1895. Serial No. 573,182. (Nomodel.)

To caf/ZZ whom, t may concern.'

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. I-IoroHKIss, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield andState of Connecticut, have invented certain newT and useful Improvementsin Toy Cannons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and usefulimprovem ents in toy cannons ofthe class known as fire-cracker cannons, and more particularly tobreech-loading toy fire-cracker cannons.

It is the object of my invention to generally improve upon this class oftoys, to lessen the cost of producing the same, and, further, toparticularly insure safety when in the hands of inexperienced persons.

rlhe construction of my invention is such as to enable me to dispensewith the necessity of any milling, drilling, tapping, or iitting of theparts, and allows me to assemble them in the condition in which they arecast.

W'ith these objects in view I have devised the simple. and novelconstruction which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, and in which- Figure l shows a plan view ofmy improved toy cannon complete, and also shows by dotted lines the openposition of the breech. Fig. 2 shows a central vertical sectional viewof my cannon and illustrating the fire-cracker in the barrel thereof.Fig. 3 shows a plan view of my improved toy, one wheel and thebarrelbeing removed therefrom. Fig. 4 shows an inverted viewof thebarrel detached.

As before stated, this cannon is of the breech-loading type, whichnecessitates providing for the admission of explosives into the breech.This is done by swinging the barrel in a novel manner laterally upon itscarriage and inserting the load in the barrel from one side of thebreech-block. (See dotted lines, Fig. l.) As will be seen, the toy isformed complete of five pieces, the barrel being one piece, the carriageand breech-block are made integral and form the second piece, and thewheels and axle make up the remaining three pieces.

Referring to the letters of reference indicated upon the drawings7 A Aindicate the wheels, which serve to support the cannon, and B the axleto which the wheels are attached. Said axle is journaled in dependingears C C, which are formed integral with the carriage D. At therear ofsaid carriage I form integral and at a right angle therewith avertical-faced breech-block E, which in turn is provided with a suitabletrail F, which is properly hollowed out upon its under side to producelightless and at the same time have a substantial and favorableappearance.

The carriage D is provided with a forward extension G, which is providedwith an oblong orifice H, extending lengthwise therewith and in thecenter thereof. Said carriage is further provided throughout its lengthwith a centrally-longitudinal recess I to receive a correspondingenlargement J upon the under side of the barrel. The barrel, which Idesignate as K, is provided with the usual central bore L and afuse-recess M, which preferably extends up vertically from the center ofthe bore.

About midway of the length of the barrel and upon the under side thereofI provide a depending interlocking lug N, which clearly appears in Figs.2 and 4, and whose lower extremity is of a width somewhat greater thanthat of its upper portion, which construction admits of said lug beinginserted into the oriice II when said barrel is at a right angle to thecarriage, and when so inserted and the barrel turned back into positionagainst the teat O upon the rear of the carriage said barrel .becomespivotedly fixed thereto. In this connection it will be seen that theproper centering of the barrel is insured when the breech is thrown inposition by said enlargement J properly settling into the recess I ofthe carriage, they being, as before stated, of corresponding dimensions.

In the assembling of this toy the barrel and carriage are iirstassembled in substantially the manner above mentioned, when one of thewheels is iitted against the headed end of the axle B and the free endof the axle inserted into the holes of the depending ears, when theother wheel is fitted to the free end IOO of the axle and the saineriveted down against the hub of said Wheel. Thus completed, the Wheelforms a guard against the removal of the barrel from the carriage, aswill be readily understood With reference to Fig. l.

The end of the breech-block E, as before stated, is preferably cutperfectly vertical and at a right angle to the barrel, so as to snuglyreceive the end of the barrel, which prevents any unnecessary orobjectionable movement of the same when in active operation.

I am aware that toy cannons of various designs have been produced, alsothat breechloading cannons, in some respects similar to my presentinvention, are among those which have been manufactured and placed uponthe market, and, further, that breech-blocks having an inclined face andformed integral With the carriage are old. This latter construction inparticular I have found to be objectionable from the practical fact thatowing to such inclined connection said breech Willbe thrown open by theexplosion of the fire-cracker therein, Which construction will adm-it ofpart of said explosive being dis charged out of said breech, much to thedispleasure of the attendant.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent isl. In a toy breech-loadin g cannon, the combination of anintegral carriage, averticallyfaced breech-block, a barrel having anoblong enlarged headed lug integral With and at a right angle theretoupon the under side of said barrel, an orifice in the carriage, adaptedto receive said lug when the barrel is at a right angle to the carriageaforesaid, thus permittin g an interlocking` and swinging connection,substantially as shown and described.

2. In atoy breech-loading cannon, the combination of an integralcarriage and verticalfaced breech-block, an orifice and longitudinalrecess in the carriage, a barrel having an interlocking lug upon theunder side thereof, to engage said oriice, an enlargement to fit intothe recess and center the barrel thereby, substantially as described.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield and State ofConnecticut, this 17th day of December, A.D. 1895.

CHARLES A. HOTCHKISS.

lVitnesses z C. M. NEUMAN, W. P. BANKS.

